


The Psychologist

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [8]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Child Abuse, F/M, Gen, M/M, Omegaverse, Oppression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25645492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: A psychologist asks to visit the children to observe how they interact now that they are back with their family. But what are her real intentions?
Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738087
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm mean to the children in this one - sorry.

Meg picked up the steaming mug and sipped the coffee. She closed her eyes for a few seconds trying to forget everything else apart from the heady aroma of the strong hot drink. 

'Hey, sexy breeches.'

She sighed and opened her eyes. Sylvie settled on the chair opposite her, she had a plate of the day's special. The vegetarian chilli had looked inviting when Meg was at the food bar, but she had opted for a ploughman's lunch. The canteen was busy. Most of the tables were full and a steady stream of women were buying food to take back to their offices. 

'How's Clive?'

Meg smiled, 'he's better than he was,' she said. 'The rather hasty exit from hospital and the drive home took its toll on him. I was worried I'd done the wrong thing for a while. Tina gave him some strong painkillers. He slept most of the first couple of days.'

She thought back to their escape from the hospital. Clive had stoically allowed her and Graham to manhandle him and get him away from what could have become the last place they ever saw him. Meg had been very worried the vulnerable Beta male would get lost in the system. He could have become a specimen for the student doctors. They had been forced to sneak him from the hospital. Not ideal for a man who had fallen down a flight of stairs only days before. Clive had a broken leg and several nasty cuts and grazes to his shoulder and arm. He was unable to do much for himself. Graham, who was still wracked with guilt for causing the accident had become Clive's helper. Their apprentice carpenter was acting as a prop for Clive whenever he needed to move. 

They knew that Clive was embarrassed to need the help, but there was not much the Beta could do about it. The boys had all been very helpful. George was in charge of the vegetable patch with Peter and Henry taking orders from the little Omega. The two Alpha's did not have a problem being told what to do by their brother. 

Meg wished the equality they had within their family was normal and not an exception. 

'And how was your visit to the boss?'

Meg made an effort to look surprised that Sylvie knew about her telling off by the Prime Minister. But of course, Sylvie knew. Sylvie knew everything.

'She had a right go at me,' said Meg. 'Bitch threatened to have me suspended again.'

'You've got to be careful; the department can't lose you,' said Sylvie in a rare moment of sincerity. 

'I know. I apologised. The hospital is prepared to keep it quiet about my attitude and apparently abducting a patient,' Meg said with a roll of her eyes. 'I just have to pay the money they're owed for his care.'

'And can you afford that? I know it's a bit tight for you still after buying the house.'

Meg nodded, 'good old Phoebe to the rescue again. She's loaned me the money. And I doubt she'll want it back. She was rather taken with Clive when we bought the house.'

'That's good,' said Sylvie.

Her friend looked at her for several seconds before leaning forward in that flirtatious way she had. Her low-cut top straining under her ample breasts.

'If you wanted to have a bit of time away from the chaos, you know my bed's warm,' she whispered. 

'Sylvie,' said Meg, 'I love you. But I'm not in love with you.'

'Who said anything about love. I'm talking about a good time. I could see you satisfied...'

Sylvie raised an eyebrow as she leaned back. Meg found her friend attractive. But the prospect of having a relationship with anyone at that moment was not what Meg wanted. She was still recovering from her relationship with Clive. In truth, she wanted to go back to being his lover. But she suspected that ship had sailed. 

'Oh, what does she want? Creepy meepy Meering sauntering up behind you' warned Sylvie. 

Meg sighed; the Minister for Housing had recently come out as progressive. Meg knew the woman had only changed her political stance because it was a popular thing to do. Meering also fancied Meg, despite living with two other women. Meg found Meering annoying. She tolerated her advances because she still had an influential voice amongst the elected Ministers. 

'Megan,' said the Minister as she reached them. 'I hoped to catch you. My friend needs a favour. One that I think you would be interested to help with.'

Meg glanced at Sylvie who had turned her attention to her chilli. Her friend was trying not to smirk as she spooned the food into her mouth. Meg had a fleeting thought that it might be entertaining if Sylvie choked and caused Meering to want to leave. Sylvie did not oblige Meg's thoughts. 

Meering, who was wearing one of her shiny grey suits that made her look like one of the men from old films that bought and sold shares, pulled up two chairs and sat down. The women who was with her took the other seat. The woman was younger than Meering. She had mousey brown hair cut into a severe bob that angled down over her ears. The haircut looked ridiculous. Sylvie glanced up for a second, looked at Meg and returned to her food. Meg knew her friend would not be saving her from the conversation. Sylvie would only make an inappropriate comment and get herself fired. 

'This is Professor Carla Watson. She's a psychologist looking into the reintegration of the children for Magdalen College, Oxford.'

Meg shook the woman's hand; she hid a smile as Sylvie managed to compose herself long enough to greet the woman. 

'I'm sorry to interrupt your lunches,' said the professor. 'I know you must be busy.'

'I didn't know there was a study going on?' said Meg.

'Oh, it's something new for this year. We know that the government will want details and statistics about the reintegration. We like to get ahead if we can.'

Meg nodded warily, 'what statistics will a psychologist be gathering?'

Carla smiled, 'you are right to be curious,' she said. 'We intend to study the effect of family life on the children. We want to compare it with their lives before. Obviously, we're hoping to find the repatriation has improved their lives.'

Carla was trying very hard to ingratiate herself on Meg. The woman might have been nervous. 

'What is it that you want my help for? I'm only a general overseer of the repatriation. I'm looking at the big picture. Trying to solve all the problems that have been thrown up.'

Meering chuckled, 'all the things you hadn't thought of, eh?'

Meg shook her head, a little annoyed at the Minister, 'I did think of them. It was difficult to get things in place before the Bill had been passed.'

Meering looked a little put out by Meg's retort. Meg thought she heard Sylvie snort into her chilli.

The professor was not put off by the exchange, 'what I need is to study some children. I need to see how they interact with one another. Twins reunited... older and younger siblings of different sexes...'

'I still don't understand how I can help you.'

'I was talking to Carla,' said Meering, 'and mentioned how you live with a family and have access to some children.'

Meg had to bite her tongue at the description of her having 'access to some children'. The children were part of the family. She loved them all. 

Carla leaned forward a little, 'I've been trying to find a family willing to allow me to talk to their children. I need to talk to them and observe them for a while. But they are all so reticent.'

'Of course, their reticent,' scoffed Sylvie, 'you're a woman. A woman in power. Most of them are scared of us.'

Carla looked at Sylvie for a few seconds before turning back to Meg, 'I wonder if you could let me observe the children you live with?'

Meg pushed her plate away and turned to look at the woman, 'it wouldn't be up to me,' she said.

Carla quickly spoke again, 'oh I know you would need to ask their parents. I am not trying to sneak my way in. It would be all above board. The Alpha and Omega can be there. All I ask is for a few minutes alone with the children. I need to ask them a few questions without the influence of adults around them.'

Meg nodded. She appreciated the reassurance from the professor who seemed genuine. Having recently been on the receiving end of women trying to abuse males she had become a little warier. The professor wanted to help. She wanted the study to show that the children were better off with their parents. The more Meg thought about it the more she thought it was a good idea. 

'Let me talk to the rest of the family. It should be a joint decision. Although I would imagine they'll be willing to help. Especially if it helps to underline how much of a good thing the Repatriation Act is.'

Carla smiled gratefully. Meg could see the woman was relieved after she had started off on the wrong foot. She reached into her bag and pulled out a business card.

'My phone and email are on there. Please call me if you have any questions.'

Meg took the card, 'give me a couple of days and I'll get back to you.'

'Thank you,' said Carla, 'I'll leave you to your lunches.'

The professor nodded goodbye to Sylvie before rising from the chair. She and Sondra Meering walked away. Sylvie watched them go for a few seconds before looking at Meg. The smirk on her face turned into a full grin.

'Did you see her hair?'

'Couldn't miss her hair,' agreed Meg with a giggle. 

The pair spent several minutes talking about the brief exchange. Meg wondered if it was a good idea. She wondered if the study could be detrimental. She knew there would need to be several families included in the study. She wondered if they would manage to get a good cross-section of society. If the University was only able to get help from families that lived with progressive women, they were likely to get skewed figures. But if her family were willing, she wanted to help with the study. 

A~B~O

Jamie straightened up, he stretched his back and rolled his shoulders.

'How do you do this all day?'

'I just get on with it. I enjoy it,' replied Clive. 'I feel like I'm contributing...'

Jamie looked across to his friend when he trailed off. The Beta was sat on one of the garden loungers. His broken leg was encased in a cast lying slightly raised on a cushion. Clive had been carried to his current position by Graham who had eased him into the lounger with care. 

Poor Clive hated being reliant on others despite them all telling him he did enough for the family. The injuries he had collected on his right shoulder and arm meant he was not yet fit enough to use a wheelchair. When Graham was not there Jamie or Danny were the ones to ferry the unfortunate Beta about. The progressive doctor, Tina Stuart, had visited a couple of times to assess his progress. But it had all taken its toll on Clive who had on occasion risked slipping into depression. They were keeping him occupied. The children had realised that Clive was a captive audience. They were frequently playing board games with him or showing off some new thing they had learned.

'You contribute more than you give yourself credit for,' said Jamie. 'This stuff, this all helps us to eat better. You watch the children, taking the pressure of Sammy. You run the house. And you don't ask for anything in return.'

Clive looked down, he sighed, 'sorry,' he said. 'I just feel so useless at the moment.'

'Well,' retorted Jamie with a smile, 'if you don't tell us which of these needs harvesting next you might as well be useless.'

Clive managed a smile in return and nodded. He looked at his mud-stained notebook.

'The carrots,' he said, 'the row to your left. They should pull up quite easily. Graham made some space for them in the store cupboard. It's cool in there.'

Jamie got to work on the carrots, easing the orange vegetables from the ground and putting them into the wooden boxes next to him. Daniel had set him and Graham the task of creating the boxes from offcuts as part of their training. Jamie was the first to admit that Graham's were as neat and solid as his. The young Alpha may have only been their apprentice for a few weeks, but he had picked up the techniques quickly. Now that Graham had started working on controlling his anger the young man had gained in confidence.

The young Alpha was busy in the greenhouse tidying the pots that had been used for the tomatoes. He was supposed to be working on the cottage but had been press-ganged into allotment work. Daniel was away for the day with Sammy and the twin girls who were due some jabs and a health check-up. 

'What time is the doctor turning up?' asked Clive.

Jamie glanced at his watch, 'any time now,' he said. 

Meg had not needed to persuade them to accept the request from the professor. Jamie had assured Meg that he was happy for his children to see her and Sammy had agreed. They had sat the children down and talked to them about the visit. Predictably, they had each reacted in different ways. Mary was not bothered. Peter had feigned disinterest in an attempt to copy Mary. George had been quiet and moved closer to his brother. And Henry had pouted telling them he would not talk to the doctor lady. Overall, they had accepted the visit and decided they could allow the lady to talk to them for a bit. 

Sammy had been annoyed that the health clinic appointment coincided with the psychologist's visit. Jamie, Meg, and Clive would all be there so the children would have people they trusted nearby. Clive was looking forward to meeting the professor. He hoped to learn about the study.

'I guess they're interested in how the twins are bonding again,' said Graham as he rinsed the mud off his hands. 'I bet she'll want to see how Henry is. How he interacts with Peter and George. And how they got to bond again...'

Graham paused, he looked at Jamie.

'Sorry,' said Jamie who realised he had not hidden the sudden rush of emotion he felt. 'I was thinking about Brian. I was wondering how he would have fared with Mary.'

He sniffed, surprising himself at how bad he felt. He thought about Brian a lot. Thought about the life the little boy would never know. Jamie still found it odd that he had been thinking of his son as alive when in reality the boy was dead. And had been dead for four years. It still did not feel real to him. Mary had not said much about her brother. They would have been babies when they were separated and as a female, she was far more independent. In some ways, Jamie was glad that Brian rather than Mary had died. Brian's life would have been worse. It might even have been considered cruel to take the Beta from his home. He would have been allowed a few years of freedom. Then he would have the choice of going back into an oppressive home or start allowing Alpha's to use him as a surrogate Omega. 

'I'm here if you need to talk about it,' said Clive. 'It's not like I can do much else at the moment. It's still bothering you, we can all see that. Don't bottle it up.'

Jamie smiled and nodded. His family would help him, he did not need to grieve alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Professor Carla Watson arrived promptly at eleven o'clock. Meg watched the black BMW swing onto the front driveway and park in front of the office window. They had sent a few emails back and forth discussing what Carla wanted out of the meeting. She wanted to observe how the boys and Mary interacted with one another and to ask them a few questions. Meg had warned the professor that the children, particularly the boys, would be wary of her. She knew George was putting on a brave face. The little Omega was intimidated by the prospect of meeting a strange woman. 

Carla was wearing light blue jeans and a red and white striped t-shirt. She carried an electronic notepad and a small black bag. As she locked the car and pushed the keys into her pocket she paused and looked at the view. Meg guessed the woman was wondering how much the place had cost. It was worth more than most unelected Ministers of Parliament could afford. Meg smirked, she wondered if the professor could even afford somewhere as good.

She checked her reflection in the mirror before stepping into the hallway. She opened the door for the visitor. 

'Hello,' she said as she stepped aside for the professor. 

'This place is lovely,' Carla said, 'that view is stunning. Are the horses yours?'

Meg shook her head, 'no, they belong to a couple of women who own the house at the bottom of the hill to the left there.'

She pointed towards to house, the roof of which was visible between a few trees. 

'And anyway, Danny's allergic to horses,' she added with a smile. 'He has to keep well clear or ends up sneezing and watery-eyed for ages.'

'Danny?'

'Head of the family. He's the older of the Alphas. He and Sammy are in town with their twins. Sammy would have liked to be here.'

Carla nodded, 'that's alright,' she said. 'It is the children I'm interested in after all.'

'Coffee?' Meg asked as she led Carla through to the sitting room.

'No, thank you,' replied Carla. 'I'd like to get set up. Is this the best room?'

Carla looked around the sitting room before peering into the smaller sitting area that led to the kitchen. The two rooms were where the family gathered in evenings or where the boys and Mary would sit to watch television. 

'Actually, they're in the room that was supposed to be a fancy sitting room. There are a couple of sofas and space for their toys in there. If you don't mind a bit of a mess, they will be more relaxed.'

Carla smiled, 'that sounds perfect. You did ask their parents if they minded me filming the children?'

'Yes, and they're fine with that. It's for your study and if it helps to prove what a good thing family life is for the children then...' Meg trailed off with a smile.

She led Carla through the dining room to the playroom. When they had viewed the house the room had been set up as a studio. Phoebe had an easel and painting material scattered across a few tables. The natural light and doors opening onto the garden made it a space good for creation. The children had taken the space as their own soon after moving into the house. Lego and Meccano were stored in several plastic boxes on low shelves. Board games and books filled another set of shelves. Peter and Henry were a little destructive with the toys. But George could be relied on to tidy everything away. 

The two adults paused in the doorway. Mary was sitting on one of the sofas reading, a children's adaptation of Frankenstein. She had read the book several times, proud to be named after the author. The boys were knelt in the middle of the floor. Peter and Henry were pushing toy cars around. They had created a road network using pencils and felt tip pens. George was absorbed in a jigsaw puzzle. 

'Where is their Alpha?' asked Carla, keeping her voice quiet.

'He's only in the garden. He's helping to harvest some of the vegetables from our allotment. Clive, who usually looks after the garden, broke his leg a couple of weeks ago. Jamie's helping out.'

Carla peered through the blinds covering the windows. They could see Jamie driving a spade into the earth on the other side of the garden. The Alpha was chatting to Clive as he worked. 

'Are you the proffser?'

Both women looked down. Henry looked up.

'Prof-ess-or,' Meg said. 'Yes, this is Carla. She's the lady we told you about.'

'I'm Henry. I'm an Alpha. I've got three red cars.'

He held up the toy cars to show them. Carla nodded, not sure what to say. Meg chuckled.

'You've not had much interaction with children, have you?'

She was not surprised when Carla reddened a little.

'It makes it a bit of a mockery, doesn't it? I'm here to observe children and I don't know much about them.'

'You have to start somewhere. They won't bite. But they may not do what you expect them to. They are not miniature adults. They don't have the ability to lie as we all can. They are brutally honest, which in some ways is refreshing.'

'That's Mary,' said Meg pointing at the little girl who glanced up at them. 'Peter is busy driving that bus and George is looking for straight edges on his jigsaw.'

Meg could see a little shake in George's hand as he sorted through his puzzle pieces. They had all been a little concerned about George. The little Omega had told them he was happy to see the woman, but of all the children it was him that was the most reticent. Meg hoped the meeting would help to show George that he could trust women and not all were harsh and mean. 

'Hello,' said Carla to the rest of the children.

The boys looked up but did not respond.

'I'm just going to sit here and watch you for a little while,' she said. 'And then I'd like to ask you some questions. Would that be alright?'

'I like answering questions,' said Henry. 'And I can count all the numbers. One, two, three-'

'Henry,' said Meg holding up her hand to stop the little Alpha. 'We know you can count all the numbers. Clive listened to you count them all yesterday.'

She glanced at Carla and rolled her eyes. Carla managed a smirk.

Henry looked a little deflated, he pouted for a few seconds before going back to his cars on the carpet. The two Alpha's were soon engaged in their game again. Carla put her notebook on the sideboard near one of the sofas and opened her bag. She pulled out a small tripod with flexible legs. She set her phone up to record and set the tentacle-like legs level on the sideboard. After a few adjustments, she was satisfied with the position. 

'May I sit here?' she asked Mary, indicating a spot next to her on the sofa.

Mary nodded but did not say anything. Meg had not seen the girl as standoffish before. She wondered if it was a phase she was going through. Carla settled next to Mary and picked up her notebook. Meg leaned forward.

'If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen.'

Carla nodded her thanks before returning her attention to the children.

A~B~O

Meg settled herself at the breakfast bar. The mug of coffee she had made sat cooling besides her as she flicked through a gossip magazine. She did not know who a lot of the celebrities were that were featured. She enjoyed chuckling at their expense. She frowned as she read the opinion piece by an ultra-conservative woman. Meg was not surprised to see her name in the column. The writer was belittling her work and making comments about her ability to lead the team dealing with the repatriations. Meg was used to the vilification. As long as it was only aimed at her and not her staff or worse the rest of her family, she could cope with it. When she had still been in a relationship with Clive, he had been a good listener. She could unload her pent-up annoyance to him, and he would hug her and kiss her and the worries would melt away. She missed that. She knew she could have it with another person, but she did not want another person. She still wanted Clive. 

The injured Beta was still in the garden. Meg watched through the window. Graham was moving the large umbrella from the patio to behind Clive to give him some shade. Jamie was boxing up something and walking it around to the storeroom on the other side of the house. The industrious Alphas looked as though they were nearly finished with their work. Clive was explaining something to Graham, using his notebook to illustrate his point. 

She thought about sorting out some lunch for them all but decided to wait until the professor had gone. She did not want to have to ask the woman to join them. It would be awkward. The children would not be able to relax. She knew whatever findings the professor made would not be totally true. When she had left the woman watching the children, she could tell the boys were not happy for her to be there. Meg did not need the males' senses to feel the tension in the room. The boys might not have realised they were acting differently, but they were. 

The study was still a good idea, thought Meg. Although she found it odd that as the Minister for Repatriation, she had not come across any mention of it. But she did not pay attention to every memo that crossed her desk. That was what her secretary was for.

A light footstep behind her made her turn around. Mary was lingering in the doorway. The little girl looked unsure of herself. 

'Mary? What's up?'

Mary ventured further into the room. She glanced over her shoulder for a few seconds before looking back. 

'Is it a bit boring in there? Is she asking lots of dull questions? I bet Henry's lost interest by now.'

Mary did not respond and only looked at her with a worried expression. Meg stepped off the stool and crouched in front of her.

'What is it? You know if you tell us straight away if you've broken something, we won't be angry.'

'I don't think she's doing what she should be doing,' said Mary, her voice not much more than a whisper. 

Mary was a confident child. She was aware of her privileged place in society as a female. She did not abuse the power, at least not yet. But generally, she was more confident than the boys. Her cowed behaviour was at odds with how she normally was. 

'I'm sure some of the questions seem odd,' said Meg, trying to offer Mary some reassurance. 'But it's for grown-ups to understand. Clever grown-ups. Like you'll be one day.'

Mary did not respond to the gentle teasing. 

'I think she's going to make George cry.'

Meg sighed, 'George is an Omega, he gets upset a little easier than Alpha's do-'

'She wants him to stand on the little table.'

Meg furrowed her eyebrows. 

'The professor wants him to stand on the table. The one that they got told off for climbing last week?'

Mary nodded. 

The boys had been trying to reach the top shelf to get at a book. Daniel had caught them and raised his voice to them. The Alpha's reaction was only because they were putting themselves in danger. Daniel had apologised for shouting at them but made sure they understood why they should not climb on the furniture. 

'Stay here,' said Meg. 'I'm going to have a look around the corner and see what's going on.'

Mary nodded and watched her go. Meg was careful not to make a sound as she walked to the dining room. She would be able to stand by the door and look through the dining room into the playroom. She felt a little sneaky for wanting to watch what the professor was doing without her knowledge. What Mary had said was worrying. She did not like the idea of the boys being asked to do things they were not comfortable doing. Answering questions was one thing but doing things they knew they should not be was another. 

She stopped by the door and listened for a few seconds before peering around. 

What she saw shocked her. She could not believe her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

The small table had been pulled forward to stand in front of the sofa that backed onto the garden. Peter and Henry were sitting on the sofa. George was standing on the little table. He was visibly shaking and taking little gasped breaths as he tried not to cry. Peter and Henry both looked scared. Henry had his hands over his mouth, something he did when he had been told to be quiet and listen to the grown-ups. The professor had her back to the door. 

Meg stood watching the scene for a few seconds. She was horrified to watch the professor holding a pin-prick blood testing device against George's arm.

'Don't hurt my brother,' Peter said. 

He went to stand up, but Carla pointed at him and indicated for him to sit back down.

'Remember what I said. You aren't to react. You have to pretend nothing is happening. In your head, pretend nothing is happening.'

She pressed the device to George's arm firmly enough for the pin to pierce the little Omega's skin. George sobbed. As Meg got closer, she could see several tiny red dots on the little boy's arms. She felt sick as she realised the pin-prick device had been used several times. It was no wonder George looked so scared. 

'I'm not... allowed... on the table,' he said between sobs.

'Shh. No one will know. I'll give you all some chocolate in a minute.'

The professor had one hand tightly around George's left wrist, keeping him where he was. A red mark on his right wrist showed that he had been subjected to the mistreatment for some time. Meg could see a damp patch on the front of George's shorts where he had wet himself. 

'Leave him alone,' said Peter as he scrambled up to stand.

He reached out to his twin but was pushed by Carla causing him to fall back onto the sofa. The woman looked out of the window behind the sofa. She was looking across the garden at Jamie, who was still busy by the greenhouse. Meg realised why she had been interested to know where the boys Alpha was. She realised what the study was really about. The professor was seeing how well the parents could sense distress in their children. She was observing how close twins and siblings were linked. She was trying to get the children to suppress their fears so that Jamie would not pick up on it. 

'Let go of him,' Meg said as she reached the playroom.

The professor whirled around, causing George to lose his balance and fall to his knees on the table.

'I'm almost finished. Just five more minutes. This is important,' said the professor. 

Meg was having none of it. She grabbed the camera from the sideboard. She was not going to give the evil woman the satisfaction of having footage of the torture of three little boys.

'What are you doing? Give me the phone, that data is vital. This is helping your cause. This is proving that they are better together.'

Meg was hurriedly trying to find the delete button on the unfamiliar interface of the phone screen. Carla stepped towards her. Meg pushed her out of the way one-handed. She turned to George who was watching them with an expression of sheer terror on his face. She reached out her hand to help him get off the table. Before she could get to the scared boy the professor grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. 

'Give me the phone.'

Carla grabbed Meg's hair and pulled her head back. At the same time, she tried to grab the phone that Meg was clutching in her left hand. Meg tried to twist away as the woman continued to pull her hair. The professor was stronger than Meg was expecting. She forced Meg a few steps away only stopping when they hit the edge of the dining table. Meg managed to turn to face the woman who finally let go of her hair. Before Meg could do anything else, Carla punched her. The strike hitting her cheek causing her to yelp and turn away instinctively. Carla grappled with her again causing them both to fall to the floor. The phone fell from Meg's hand and slid across the wooden floor. The woman tried to grab it but Meg pulled her back. The professor pulled Meg up by her shoulders before slamming her back to the floor. The impact only softened by a rug that covered the floor under the dining table. Meg was left stunned for a few seconds. It was enough time for Carla to get to her feet. She looked down at Meg for a second before pulling her foot back to kick her. 

'Leave my mum alone!'

The yell made the professor pause and look towards the door that led to the hall. Mary marched forward, her steps loud on the wooden floor. She pushed Carla back a couple of steps and stood between her and Meg. Meg looked towards the playroom. Peter was standing in front of George who was sitting on the floor hugging his knees to his chest. Henry was knelt by his older brother watching what was going on with wide eyes. Peter had the phone in his hands. He was busy tapping at the screen. Meg felt proud as she watched the brave little Alpha delete the footage.

'What have you done?' snapped Carla taking a step towards Peter. 

Mary moved around to stand next to Peter. She took the phone from him and thrust it in the direction of the professor who took it and stared at the blank screen. 

The sound of someone running towards the garden doors snapped the professor to attention. She looked up as Jamie reached the double door and grabbed the handle. Without another word, the professor grabbed her notepad and bag and ran from the room. As Jamie wrenched the glass doors open, they could hear the front door open and close with a slam. 

A~B~O

The waves of wariness from his sons had been unsettling. But Jamie pushed them aside. He knew that the professor was a professional. It was likely the boys would be a little scared of her. She was a stranger to them. The work she was doing was important. He would reward his sons and daughter when she had gone. He knew there would be an ice cream van in the little car park by the beach. He would take them all to the beach and treat them. 

Clive was scowling, 'are you sure everything is alright in there,' he said.

'I know,' said Jamie, 'it is a bit disconcerting feeling how uncomfortable they are.'

'Perhaps you should check on them?' suggested Graham who was busy pulling up a few weeds from the edge of the vegetable patch. 

'I don't want to inter-'

A sudden wave of fear washed over him. He looked at Clive who looked as shocked. Even Graham had straightened up.

'That's not right, Jamie,' said Clive. 'Go and check them.'

Jamie did not need telling twice. He dropped his spade and ran towards the house, heading straight for the doors to the playroom. The fear he could feel was coming from all the boys. He pulled the doors open and stopped unable to comprehend what he was looking at. 

Meg was lying on the floor of the dining room. Mary and Peter were protectively standing in front of her. Henry was sitting by George on the floor by the table. The table had been put in the middle of the room. 

The front door slammed. A few seconds later a car engine started, and a car drove off at speed. 

'She was horrible to George,' said Peter. 'And then she hit Meg.'

Jamie was not sure what to do. He took a few steps forward and crouched by George who was shaking and crying. Henry stood up and walked across to Meg. The little Alpha put his arms around Meg, as she pushed herself up to sit, and held onto her. Meg held him back. 

Jamie looked at George noticing the little trickles of blood on his arms and the red marks on his wrists. 

'I'm sorry I wee'd myself,' sobbed the little boy. 'I was scared of her.'

'It's alright. It's alright,' soothed Jamie as he gathered the little boy in his arms. 

Peter moved to their side and cuddled his brother as well. 

'What happened?' 

Jamie looked at Meg, but it was Mary that answered. 

'She made George stand on the table and told Peter and Henry that they were not to react. They had to pretend nothing was happening. She told George not to cry or Meg would be angry.'

Meg shook her head, 'she said what?'

Henry leaned back a little from Meg and nodded, 'she was horrible. I hate her.'

'I could sense that you weren't happy,' said Jamie, 'but I thought it was because she was a stranger asking you questions. I should have come and checked on you. I'm so sorry.'

He rocked George, who was clinging on to him and crying. His little body shaking with each sob.

'I shouldn't have let her be alone with them. I should have known... I should-'

'Meg,' said Jamie, 'you couldn't have known. You thought she was doing a good thing. I don't blame you for this.'

Graham appeared at the doorway, 'Clive wants to know what's happen-'

He stopped and stared at the scene in front of him for a few seconds. 

'Do you need help? Should we call an ambulance or the police?'

'No,' said Meg. 'We can deal with this. And the police won't do anything. They'll just say I agreed to it. Jamie agreed to it as well. They'll just blame us. I'm so sorry Jamie.'

Jamie shook his head, 'this is not your fault,' he turned to Graham. 'Tell Clive that everything is fine. The professor was experimenting on them. But they'll be alright. I'll come and help you bring him in. I need to get George settled first.'

George, who was still shaking, looked up, 'you can go and help Clive,' he said. 'Clive can't walk. I can walk.'

Jamie managed a smile; his son was thinking of other people before himself. He stroked his hair and nodded. 

'Peter, Henry,' he said. 'Can you take George up to the bathroom. I'll come up once I've helped get Clive into the sitting room. I won't be long.'

The two Alpha's nodded. Jamie knew that giving them what they thought was an important job would stop them from worrying about what had happened. 

He looked across to Meg who was still sitting on the floor, 'are you alright?'

'She stopped the horrible woman from hurting George,' said Henry, brimming with pride. 'They had a fight.'

Meg smiled at Henry before looking back at Jamie, 'I'll be fine. Bruised, but fine.'

She looked at Mary for a few seconds.

'Why did you call me 'mum'?'

Mary could not hide the colour her cheeks went, 'I read that's what lady Omegas were called when they had babies. And you're like our Alpha and Omega rolled into one.'

The boys all nodded.

'It's what we call you when there are no grown-ups around,' whispered George, as if a great secret had been discovered. 'Are we in trouble for calling you that?'

Meg shook her head and smiled, 'no, George. I like it very much.'

A~B~O

Jamie wrapped the towel around George and lifted him out of the bath. The little boy was still sniffing and apologising for having wet himself. Jamie repeatedly told him he had not done anything wrong. Peter and Henry were watching from the doorway. Jamie knew the boys were not going to be far from each other for the rest of the day. 

He sat George on a chair and opened the first aid box. He pulled out the tub of multi-coloured plasters and sorted through finding all the yellow ones. He lay them out side-by-side on the countertop. He pulled a piece of cotton wool loose and unscrewed the bottle of antiseptic. George's little shakes were starting to settle down. Jamie dabbed at each of the tiny cuts. He knew the pricks did not need plasters on them, but he wanted to show George how serious he was taking the incident. After cleaning each cut, he covered them with the smallest of the yellow plasters. Once all the cuts had been covered, he looked at the bruises on his son's wrists. 

'She was squeezing very hard.'

'I can see that,' said Jamie.

He picked up the balm for bruises and gently rubbed it across the marks. 

'That should help a little,' he said.

George nodded and sniffed. 

'We'll get you dressed and then sort you all out with a snack. Not too much though or you won't eat your dinner. I happen to know that Danny's cooking shepherd’s pie tonight.'

The dish was one of the boy's favourites. When they had called Sammy and Daniel to tell them what had happened Daniel said he would make a shepherd’s pie.

'Now,' said Jamie with a gesture to Peter and Henry to come closer, 'I want all three of you to listen very carefully.'

He waited for a couple of seconds until each of the boys was looking at him. 

'What happened today was not any of your faults. None of you did anything wrong. You were not naughty. That woman was naughty for making you do things you didn't want to. Don't ever think that you should hide your feelings. If you're scared or hurt, you mustn't try to stop the feeling. Those feelings let us know that something is wrong.'

The boys all nodded. 

'I should have come and checked on you sooner. I am very sorry I didn't.'

'That's alright,' said Peter. 'You didn't do anything wrong either.'

Jamie smiled, he pulled all his boys together for a hug, holding them tightly. He hated what they had been through and wished he had listened to his conscience and reacted sooner. He vowed not to leave his sons alone with strangers, however genuine they seemed.

A~B~O

Clive watched Meg pacing up and down. She was wound up, agitated, and angry. 

'How could I have let this happen? I should have known. That bitch had this planned. She was just waiting for me to leave them alone. She came here to torture those little boys. And I let it happen. I invited her here.'

The red mark on Meg's cheek where she had been hit seemed to stand out despite how flushed her face was. 

'She was stabbing George. She was sicking that needle into his arms over and over again. She told them I'd be angry if they reacted. She used the fact that I'm a woman against them. She wanted them to be fearful of me. A woman.'

She stopped pacing for a few seconds. She stared out of the window, watching Mary helping Graham to put the gardening tools away.

'Mary came and told me. I brushed her off. I told her the bitch was probably just asking strange questions. I didn't listen to what she was saying. A child had better judgement than me today.'

'Meg...'

'That little boy was apologising because he wet himself. That bitch terrified him. He's probably never going to trust another woman.'

'Meg...'

'All the work we do trying to get equality and that rotten bitch ruins it by dominating three little boys. And I let it happen.'

'Meg,' Clive said with more force. 

She looked at him, he could see the tears in her eyes. 

'Come and sit down here,' Clive indicated a spot next to him on the sofa. 'I can't come to you because I can't do anything for myself at the moment.'

Meg hesitated staring at him.

'Meg,' Clive said, 'we may have had our differences. But right now, you need a hug... and I can't walk over there and get you.'

Meg managed a smile and sat next to Clive; he wrapped his arm around her pulling her close. 

'You stopped her, remember that.'

'But George's arms-'

'Will heal. It will knock his confidence, but his brothers will look after him. You've seen how close the three of them are. Henry may only be his half-brother, but he has his Alpha instinct already.'

Clive kissed the top of Meg's head and stroked her hair. She leaned into him a bit more. He was reminded of how they had been when they were lovers. Holding each other, touching, kissing. He pushed the thought away. They could not go back to what they had been. His train of thought was broken when Meg pushed herself away a little and sat straighter. 

'I bet you were going out of your mind stuck in the garden not knowing what was going on,' she said. 

Clive nodded, 'if Graham hadn't been there, I probably would have tried to walk over,' he admitted. 

'I'm going to sort you out a wheelchair,' said Meg, as much to herself as to him. 'For when your shoulder is better, you shouldn't be relying on us to get around.'

Clive smiled, 'thank you,' he said. 'Not just for that, but for all the things you do. Even today. You thought you were doing a good thing. You thought you were adding to the fuel of equality for us.'

They looked at each other for several seconds. Clive could not help himself. He leaned in and kissed her. 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it.   
> Massive upheaval for the family coming up in the next story. ;-)


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